


Mom and Dad have a secret!

by Doves_Writing



Series: Domestic AU [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batman and Catwoman are retired, Feels, Gen, Selina and Bruce adopt all the kids much closer together so they grow up together, the league is still a thing though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-03-01 16:55:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13299159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doves_Writing/pseuds/Doves_Writing
Summary: In a world where Catwoman and Batman are retired, and Bruce and Selina are in a committed relationship. What would happen?





	1. Chapter guide

Late (chap 2)  
Approaching storms (chap 3)  
The Fall (chap 4)  
Decisions (chap 5)  
A mansion becomes a nest (chap 6)  
A song to sing (chap 7)

 

Meeting them (chap 8)

 

Rooftop chats (9)

 

Haley's return (chap 10)


	2. Late

Selina sighed, swirling her finger around the rim of her champagne glass, her other hand supporting her face, and her eyes glancing to the front of the far too fancy restaurant. Well, not too fancy for her tastes, but considering the man she was waiting on preferred more private areas for this sort of thing.

Not forgetting the press flocking in the corners and booths around her table, drawn simply by her presence, cameras at the ready to capture a new story for the papers and magazines and blogs.

This was suspicious, a fancy restaurant, fancy champagne instead of red wine, a dish that she enjoyed laid out infront of her nearly as soon as she arrived, and _he_ was the only thing missing. _He_ was late.

She ran her tongue across the back of her teeth, trying to keep her lips pressed together so she wouldn’t say something out of turn to the people in the background playing Sinatra. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Three minutes, she would wait for three more minutes before she got up and left. He would complain. She would put him in his place. Just like always.

Like cat and mouse, why did she even bother saying yes anymore?

The music stopped abruptly, and the radio crackled to life with a report.

‘ _Bruce Wayne is being held hostage by the Riddler’_

It was all that got to her, she didn’t hear the rest, didn’t hear the broadcaster list the Riddler’s demands for Bruce’s safety, she stood up from the table and grabbed her purse from the back of her chair, slipping out a side entrance and into an alley.

Stubborn Bat.

No, that wasn’t right; he had given up being a Bat, for her.

Just as she had given up being a Cat for him, all they were nowadays was Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne, Gotham’s hottest couple.

Well, he wouldn’t be too mad if she called up her girls and saved his cute little tush. At least, he better not be.

It was in both of their blood after all

* * *

 

 “I had it handled”

 

“You sure didn’t act it”

 

“I have the experience, just because I don’t use the mantle anymore doesn’t mean I’ve lost my skills”

 

“He had a gun to your head!”

 

“And he could’ve drawn one on yours”

 

“But he didn’t! And Harley and Ivy had my back, unlike you who always used to go out alone! Besides, I talked him down, you KNOW Edward and I used to be friends” Selina yelled, she hated fighting with him like this, it reminded her too much of her past, so long ago, the nights on the street, the people she would team up with just to survive. But Bruce was being stubborn as usual, and there wasn’t really another way to get through to his thick skull, she wasn’t Alfred.

She shook her head “I’ll repeat what you just told me, just because I don’t go out as Catwoman anymore doesn’t mean I’m some helpless damsel now. Goodnight Bruce, I’ll see you in the morning” she told him, backing up and leaving the family room, weaving her way to the front staircase and going to one of the many guestrooms.

As much as she wanted to sleep in their bed, to feel his warmth, to know he was safe and alright and still alive, to remind herself that his brains weren’t splattered over the walls of that clock tower. She also needed her space, needed to cool down.

And being around him wouldn’t give her that, not tonight.

* * *

 

She yawned as she swung into the kitchen, her purple robe slipping off of her shoulder as she sat down. She quickly adjusted it with a look from Alfred as he settled a plate of sausage pancakes and scrambled cheesy eggs. She didn’t hesitate to smear butter over her pancakes and cover her plate in syrup, this time ignoring Alfred’s slight wrinkle of his nose.

She glanced around the small table before quirking her eyebrow up, meeting the loyal butler’s eyes, letting him see the question in them.

He sighed, wiping a drizzle of syrup from Bruce’s normal place with a damp paper towel “Mr. Fox had set up a meeting for him early this morning, very important people looking to help out the ICP Charity. He sends his apologies and a promise to talk when he gets home, and another date night to make up for last nights unexpected hold-up”

Selina nodded, that was acceptable. He wasn’t running from the argument from last night. It was just work, out of his control really; the International Children’s Prosthetics Charity was having a hard time finding people willing to actually help out with both the International and the prosthetics portions, as hard as Bruce and the medical branch of Wayne ENT. Tried, they still didn’t have as much advancement as they wanted, and it was hard to get it all over the world when you didn’t have people around the world working with you.

At least they had plenty of funding, to actually set up these sorts of meetings.

“Alright, say, isn’t that Haley’s circus coming to town in a few nights?”

“I believe so, any reason?”

“Give Brucie a little nudge, fancy restaurants are great and all, but I prefer a show” she laughed and winked at the old man, before placing a slice of sausage into her mouth, he chuckled back before nodding

“Will do”


	3. Approaching storms

She smiled at the tickets he waved infront of her face, a laugh coming to her lips. He actually listened.

“Alfred told me they were coming to Gotham, and how you liked a show, thank you for telling him to give me a hint. I may be a have become quite the detective there for a while, but it’s always hard to know how I can right my wrongs, especially when it comes to you” he told her, his hands cupping her cheeks and his fingers rubbing soft circles into them.

“You have done so much for me, to help me with my despair, showing me that love was still out there, that I was worthy of it, and you had me chasing after you across rooftops, I shouldn’t doubt you, and I’m sorry I did. You had scared me, bursting in like that; I could see a much more disastrous future play out before you even started talking to him”

She breathed in his scent, he always managed to smell like the woods creeping on the edges of the backyard, and the sea salt of the oceans they would visit from time to time, and the peppermint plants Alfred had hanging in the kitchen, she pressed herself into his chest, shutting her eyes against the tears.

“I was terrified for you as well, when I saw the gun” she whispered, they had given up the life for a reason, they were scared for each other, scared one day one of them would wake up and the other would have been ripped away from them forever, fearing the day that a tombstone would be engraved with one of the others names.

The fear lessened, now that neither Batman nor Catwoman graced the streets of Gotham unless absolutely necessary, but they were still known by the public, there was still the chance of this happening.

Bruce’s fingers tangled into her hair, his breaths brushing over the top of her head, a quiet ‘I know’ whispered into the empty air.

She backed away, but her hands stayed gripping his forearms, her mouth twitching up into a smirk “so, the circus huh? Oughta be fun, reckon there’ll be games too? I’d like to see you win a giant pink cat for me, to match fluff mcblueberry”

His lips twitched to match hers, his eyes filling with amusement “if there isn’t, I’ll just have to take you to the fair next month”

“Wonderful, now do you smell that? Alfie’s seem to have made quite the meal for lunch, we better skedaddle or he’ll have us dusting the paintings for letting it go cold”

“I wouldn’t mind, as long as we’re doing it together”

“You’d have to lift me to get the tops!”

“I’m not the only one with a cute tush in this house”

“Oh my, save that for tonight, Darling”

“Gladly”

* * *

 

 Selina gazed out of the window, watching the storm rage across the treetops surrounding the property, and breathed a sigh of relief knowing Bruce wasn’t out there, before she glanced up at the rattling of dishware. Flashing a smile at the tray of tea supplies Bruce carried and then sat on the coffee table. She swung her legs down from the window seat and made her way to him, a soft kiss pressed to his cheek before picking up the tea kettle.

He chuckled, his hands whispering across the skin of her neck as she poured her tea, his lips ghosting against her temple.

She smiled, shifting away from him in favor of setting the kettle back down and grabbing the pot of honey. A quiet dance, a smaller, more confined form of their old days of rooftop chasing. She let him win much quicker these days, but not too quick.

Her tea sweetened by the dissolving honey, she picked up the cup and moved to the couch, pressing herself into the corner between the back and the arm, legs curled up against her chest. And she waited.

He joins her, his tea is not honeyed, it is sugar and cream and the brown of peppermint swirling in vortex.

They press against each other, listening to the clap of lightning, the rain pounding against the panes of glass, and they exist together, quietly.

Selina never could have told him that she sensed tragedy on the horizon; she felt the need to run coursing through her blood, to disappear into the storm clouds before something could happen.

He knew, his fingers interlaced with hers, and then she knew that he could feel it too. But they would endure it together, they always had before.

They whisper together, two dark shapes in a candlelit room, sipping at their tea. The power had gone out an hour ago.

Alfred comes in with a book, he pours his own tea. Plain, and settles in the corner by the shelves of knickknacks and eleven years of memories of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, book open on his lap but ignored.

They were together in silence, candles flickering against the shadows.

Tragedy running through the lightning flashes in bursts.

* * *

 

And the storm raged outside the windows of a decrepit warehouse.

“If they don’t pay up, cut the lines”

“Are you sure boss? They have a kid, at best they’d be leaving ‘im behind, at worst ‘e could fall too”

“Then they’d better pay up, huh?”

* * *

 

And the storm shot through the sky above a trailer, where two people held a boy close, whispering assurances

“The storm will pass, my little Robin, it always does”

“But”

“Listen to your momma, Dickie, she’s a smart one, she is”

“Alright pops, alright Momma”

“That’s my little song bird”


	4. The fall

Dick woke up with a sparkle in his eyes, bounding out of his hammock that hung above his parents bed and out the door of the trailer, his bare feet meeting the drenched grass outside, he waved happily to Zitka and her handler as she led the baby elephant to the already assembled pasture, getting a laugh and a wave back.

“Morning, Dick!” Fiona shouted, waving her hand from the picnic table she and her parents sat at, he laughed and raced over to them

“Mornin’, Fi’! Did you see the lightning last night? Wasn’t it the coolest!?” he asked.

He slapped his hands onto the table and slid onto the bench as she laughed and nodded before sipping at her cereal milk “yeah, I was a little worried that we wouldn’t get to set everything up today if it kept goin’, but Grandpa said all storms passed” Dick nodded at that, remembering his own mother’s words the night before.

Fiona’s dad laughed “do you kids have any school work to do before you start helping?” he asked, placing a bowl of Dicks favorite cereal infront of him, Dick shrugged sheepishly as Fiona lifted the page she’s been working on, nearly completed.

“I’m nearly done, Pa! Just gotta finish the last two questions” she said, before putting it back down on the table and refocusing on it, her Ma laughed and rustled up her hair, her eyes alight with amusement as they flickered over to Dick.

“What about you? Or are you having trouble again?”

Dick shrugged “I dunno, it just doesn’t interest me, Momma says I don’t have t’ do it if I don’t feel like it though, says I don’t really need to know about Picasso if I’m planning on doing this my whole life, which I do”

Mr. Jacobs chuckled, patting his shoulder “Just remember that there’s always a chance your life is going to take an unexpected turn. It’s good to be prepared”

“Indeed it is” Dick’s head whipped around and he beamed at his approaching mother.

“Hi, Momma!” he greeted, swinging his body around and racing to wrap her up in a hug, she laughed and swung him up and around in a circle, before letting his feet touch the ground again, he looked up into her eyes, still beaming “did you see the rainbow this morning?” he asked her, going up on his tiptoes.

She laughed and nodded “I did, it reminded me of a certain little birdie, care to tell me why you’re still in pajamas, and not wearing shoes?”

His eyes widened, looking down at his apparel “Uhm, oops, guess I got so excited when I woke up, I forgot to change”

“Why don’t you go do that now?”

“Alright, see ya later Fi’!”

“See ya Dickie!”

* * *

 

 He was walking towards the big top to practice a few of their routines before the show started as a little boy ran up to them, his face in awe and delight “Ohmygosh You’re the flying Graysons!” he shouted, obviously ecstatic. Dick grinned and waved at the kid, seeing who he assumed was the kids parents walking behind them.

“Sure are! I’m Dick, What’s your name kiddo?” he asked, bending down to reach his height.

The kid giggled, his smile seeming to widen “my names Tim!”

“It’s nice to meet you Tim”

“If it isn’t too much trouble, our son would like a picture with the three of you” Tim’s father said, addressing John, who chuckled and nodded “Not at all Sir, Luis, could you come and take a picture for us?” Dick’s father asked, waving over one of the handlers for the tigers, Luis nodded and made his way over, taking the camera from Tim’s mother’s hands and letting them get all in position.

Dick picked little Tim up and placed him on his knee, grinning “Say cheese, Timmy!” he encouraged.

The flash went off and both families were on their way to their separate destinations again, Dick still beaming about the little kid recognizing him, well, his family, but him all the same.

* * *

 

He breathed deeply as he powdered his hands. It wasn’t his first time performing, but he wanted to do perfect, wanted to do his parents, and Haley, proud.

He heard his Parent’s approaching and spun around to face them, throwing out his hands to show he was ready and beaming up at them, enjoying their laughter.

“That’s my little Robin; we’re just about to head up, you all ready?”

“Uh huh Momma, I always am”

“Good boy” his father said, rubbing his hair affectionately.

* * *

 

“Presenting, the Flying Graysons! A family of acrobatics close to our hearts here at Haly’s circus” A booming voice said, Dick and his parents took a bow from their platform high in the sky. Reveling in the cheers of the crowd, the applause, this was all he needed in his life to be happy.

 His eyes skimmed over one end of the crowd, catching on to what was clearly a couple, the man in a fine pressed tux, cleanly shaven, his black hair brushed back nicely, and starling blue grey eyes that reminded him of the storm the night before.

The woman in a black dress with short sleeves, a sparkling silver necklace with earrings to match, long dark brown to black hair. It was hard to tell in the lightning, and striking whiskey brown eyes.

Dick didn’t know why those two people had caught his eye as he father swung out, or why he was so enamored in them even as they followed his father’s figure swinging back to catch his mother’s leaping form, or why he couldn’t drag his eyes away until the last second as his mother arched, reaching her hands out to catch him, he hurried into position. But he could tell he was going to miss it by a hair of a second.

Whether that was a good or bad thing would haunt him for the rest of his days, his eyes catching onto the fraying happening to the rope “Momma! Pops!” he shouted, but it was too late. The lines snapped and his parents plummeted towards the dusty ground, he fell to his knees, leaning over the edge of the platform.

The loud sound of their bodies hitting the floor in the dead silent tent would play in his head for months, years to come.

“Oh. God, get the boy down from there, someone!” a random voice from the crowd shouted, and suddenly everyone was moving. Mr. Jacobs was making his way up the ladder to him. And all he could do was lean away from the edge and shake, tears flowing down from his cheeks.

 


	5. Decisions

Selina knew he was right behind her as she pushed her way through the people, vaulting over the edge of the fence keeping the crowd back from the performance. But it was still him who reached the poor boy first, draping his suit jacket over his shaking shoulders. The man who had went up to get the small Grayson down from the platform tried to keep him back, but Bruce met his eyes sternly.

“I know what it’s like” he took a deep breath “I watched, when my own parents” he trailed off, before turning back to comfort the trembling boy.

Selina’s hand rested against her chest, her heart hurt for both Bruce and the boy, and the man had taken a step back in shock.

She caught the police approaching, but quickly stood infront of the scene “He doesn’t need you questioning him, he just watched his parents plummet, and he clearly knows what this means. Just let him be for now” she said quietly, her hands up towards them, one officer was about to snap back at her, before Jim’s hand clapped onto his shoulder.

“She’s right, Percy. He’s just a kid, a kid who just watched his parents die, possibly by foul play, let him be for now. Selina, can I speak to you?”

All she could do was swallow the lump and nod, foul play he had said. That poor boy, he was clutching onto Bruce now, a blonde girl around his age had her hand on his shoulder, seemingly talking. Whether it was to him or to Bruce, she had no clue. She followed Jim to the side.

Jima sighed “I need you to talk to Bruce, about, maybe” he held his breath for just a moment “having his friend help us out on this one” Her eyes widened.

“Batman? Why do you need Batman on this one?” she asked in a hushed whisper, stepping just a bit closer. Jim never asked about Batman, not after the last time where Bruce nearly lost his life.

He nodded “there’s hardly any evidence, except for the fact that those are lines designed not to break, and brand new at that. And they ‘snapped’ cleanly, more like they were guided by a cut”

Selina bit at her lip, before she shut her eyes and nodded “Yeah, alright, I’ll talk to him” she agreed, wrapping her arms around her body. trying to suppress her shaking before looking into Jim’s eyes “what about the kid? What happens to him?”

Jim sighed and shrugged “I don’t know, he has no more family in blood or legality here in the circus, and he can’t be adopted by any of them”

“Why not?” it was a simple question, he had grown up around these people after all.

“The adoption process would be too long, no one here would have the time, their show leaves in three days and it would take two weeks at the least”

“So there’s no way any of them could stay?”

“Nope”

“Where would he stay, until someone else adopts him? Not the system I hope?”

“Most likely, he is an orphan Selina, unless someone here fosters him”

Selina looked over to Bruce, talking to the man now. The kid cradled in the blonde girls arms.

She squeezed her eyes shut “Let me speak to Bruce, please. Before you take him anywhere” she asked.

“Of course” Jim responded, patting her shoulder before walking over to his men.

Selina let out a breath, walking over to Bruce and wrapping her arms around him from behind, trying desperately not to cry for the acrobatic that had just witness something horrible, Bruce’s hands wrapped around hers, no doubt remembering his own night of terror.

“Bruce, I need to speak to you” she whispered into his shoulder, he turned his head to look over his shoulder and meet her eyes, nodding he released her.

“One minute, please, Mr. Jacobs”

“Of course, thank you for comforting Dick. I’m sorry that you knew how to do it though”

“It happened years ago, and you weren’t the one to do it. No need to apologize” he assured, before leading Selina away.

“What is it? What did Jim need?”

“Something that I’ll tell you later, at home”

“Well, what do you need?”

“He says that the boy’s going to end up in the system, since no one here at the circus will have the time to go through an adoption process with him, and he has no other blood or legal family here”

“The system…But that’s a wreck, the boy will be lost in it for years, and given his age, even if the system wasn’t so awful”

“I know, that’s why I want to foster him, he can’t go directly into it after this trauma Bruce, he can’t, it’d be awful for his mental health. He could end up on the streets, turn out awful, like-”

Bruce cut her off with a hug “I think that’s a wonderful idea, lets tell Jim. And talk to Mr. Haly about it”

Selina nodded, embracing Bruce tightly “I’ll go talk to him, have you caught his name?

“Richard, but he prefers Dick”

“Alright” she pulled away, watching Bruce make his way over to the owner of the circus and Jim, who were no doubt already talking about Dick’s fate.

She walked over to Dick, crouching down and rubbing his shoulder “Dick?” she asked carefully.

The teary eyed boy turned to look at her, and oh god his eyes, they were so expressive, and so blue.

She took a deep breath in “My name is Selina, and the man who was just talking to you is my boyfriend. We’d like to take you in while this gets solved”

He blinked, obviously confused “Couldn’t I just stay with the circus?” his head tilted, and she could see the confusion on both the girl and Mr. Jacobs, she shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but no. Gotham takes a long time to process stuff, and they’d be leaving far too soon. And you have no legal or blood relations left here, the only way to keep you out of the system would be if Bruce and I took you in tonight”

 


	6. A mansion becomes a nest

Bruce glanced down at the boy in front of Selina and himself, trembling in a t-shirt and shorts that he had changed into. A hoodie tied around his waist, and two large duffle bags hanging from his fingers, a third on his back, and a giant box balanced on his arms, blocking his vision.

Selina and he cast each other a look before he took the box in his own arms, and she took one of the duffles hanging from his fingers, much to his shock.

“Is it too much? I’m sorry I just wanted to grab everything of my parents, I don’t really have this-“

Selina cut him off by cupping his cheeks with her hands, the duffle already swung up onto her shoulder “It’s fine Dick, if there’s anything else you need to get we can make another trip. You just looked like you were having a bit of trouble carrying it all”

“Oh” the boy blinked, readjusting the remaining duffle in his hands and shifting his feet, he looked up at the sound of a car and blinked again “Is that, uhm, is that your butler?” he asked, looking back to the two of them.

Bruce nodded at him, this poor boy, losing everything in one night. He at least had Alfred and the manor.

“Wait! Dick wait!” the blonde girl, Fiona Jacobs he had learned earlier, raced across the grounds. A box half the size of the one Dick had been carrying in her arms, she pulled up to a stop, setting it down infront of him before slinging her arms around his neck, the boy gladly hugged back, burying his face into the crook of her neck.

“Don’t forget about me, okay?”

“I would never! I won’t forget any of you!”

“You better not, Dickie” she pulled away from him, patting the box “It’s all the things we collected together, and the pictures we took when we got them, I already got duplicates of the pictures”

“Fiona, are you sure? They’re your mementos too”

“You need them more. I’ll miss you”

He pulled her into another tight hug “I’ll miss you too”

Bruce took a deep breath, catching Selina swipe her eyes out of the corner of his own, swallowing back a lump in his throat.

They would try to help this boy the best they could, he might even bring out the old cape and cowl.

Alfred made his way over to them, bending and picking up the box from besides the two children who were holding tightly onto each other, walking back to the vehicle and placing into the already opened back, Selina following suit with the duffle bag she carried

Bruce sighed, taking a few steps backwards before turning to the car, and placing his own box into the back, letting Selina shove it to the far back so it wouldn’t slide around.

Dick coughed from besides him and he jumped, he hadn’t heard the boy, but here he was, holding both duffle bags out to him. He gladly took them and placed them into the back, stepping away and letting Alfred shut the door, his hand resting on the boys shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

* * *

 

When they arrived to the manor he twisted around to watch, Dick’s eyes were wide as saucers, and his mouth was opened in an ‘o’ formation, Selina gave the boy a comforting pat on the shoulder, and a reassuring smile as they pulled into the manor. The kid was obviously tired, but forcing himself to stay awake.

“We’re going to leave your stuff in the living room, except for the duffle with your clothes, and I’ll take you to your room for the night. We can figure out a more permanent solution in the morning after breakfast, alright Dick?” Selina told him, he nodded quietly, and then he shut his mouth and his head whipped to face her

“Uh, Thank you I mean, all of this…Thank you” Selina bit her lip before bringing the boy into a hug.

“You’re welcome, and don’t worry, we’ll find the people who did this, and we’ll bring them to justice. I promise”

And she didn’t seem to mind when he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and cried into her shoulder, only brought him closer in their embrace.

And true to her word, Dick got out of the car and grabbed the blue duffle bag from the back of the car, following Selina into the house and up the stairs to the guest room closest to theirs.

Bruce leaned against the counter in the kitchen, his face in his hands as Alfred prepared tea for the three adults.

“What do I do Alfred?”

“I do not know. I was flying by the seat of my pants when your parents passed. Leslie helped me, just as Selina will help you”

“What about after all this? Where will Dick go after this case is solved?”

“I do not know that either, that is something you will have to speak to Selina and Jim about”

Bruce dragged his hands down his face, picking up an apple from the fruit basket and biting into it.

They were in for an interesting adventure, for sure.

If only they knew how interesting it was going to get.

They had a child upstairs, a child who was no doubt traumatized, and in shock.

What were they going to do?


	7. A song to sing

The two of them stayed up late, Bruce talking to Jim quietly through the phone, a secure line no doubt, and receiving facts about the case on his police issued computer, if anyone were to look at the exchange, it would look like the commissioner was talking to another officer, not The Batman.

Selina herself was reading a book, she couldn’t sleep with Bruce’s talking and the clacking of his computer keys anyways, but she stayed up in case Dick needed comfort in the middle of the night, she adjusted her silk, black night tank before picking up her cup of tea and taking a sip, then glanced away from the pages of her book to her boyfriend, sighing.

“Do you need more coffee?”

He startled, turning to look at her, before glancing to his cup, nodding and holding it up towards her, she placed her bookmark between the pages and shut ‘ _Pride and Prejudice_ ’ before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and making her way over to him. Carrying both their cups over to the small counter that had both her tea pot and his coffee pot, she prepared their drinks, trying to keep her mind off of the terrible image burned into her memory.

She could only imagine the terror that boy had gone through, watching it from above.

She set Bruce’s mug down next to him, leaning on his back and listening in to the rest of his conversation with Jim.

“Yes, I’ll take a look at the scene tomorrow night”

_‘And you need to-“_

“Check out the scene as much as possible in the next two days, because they leave on Thursday. I know Jim, I will”

‘ _Alright, and make sure to swing by for the lines tomorrow night. I’m having someone look at them, but I don’t necessarily trust them or their ethics. They get no time alone with evidence. You I trust’_

 _“_ Got it Jim, thank you for looking into this”

_‘How’s he doing?’_

Bruce sighed, looking over at her and meeting her tired eyes. He had already woken up once, and had been silent all through dinner, only murmuring occasionally when talk was directed towards him.

“It was a traumatic experience”

‘ _I see, goodnight Bruce’_

“Goodnight Commissioner”

He hung up the phone, picking up his cup and taking a long sip, his other hand resting on top of Selina’s as she held him tight.

They were startled by a shout, and then a crash. Selina pulled away “my turn” she whispered, making her way to their door and out to sooth the boy

* * *

 

Three minutes of kicking, shouts of “please no”, and possibly a black eye for Selina, she had finally gotten through to him and woken Dick up from his nightmare. Now he lay against her, clutching onto her arms while she smoothed down his hair, his eyes wide and terrified, whimpers slipping past his lips no matter how tightly he pressed them together, and trembles wracking his body.

“I’ve got you, it’s alright, and I’ve got you” she whispered, remembering oh so many years ago how she would do the same to, well, she preferred not to remember, too much pain.

Dick’s face turned and he buried it in the crook of her neck, his body curling up against her “make it stop” it was muffled, but she heard, and she could only pull him closer

“I can’t, I’m sorry” oh how she wished she could. Nightmares were a horrible thing, the lighting flashed outside his window, and hardly a few seconds passed before the rumble of thunder rolled out, causing Dick to jump in her arms, his trembles increasing.

Oh, the poor boy was afraid of storms.

“Would you like a song? To drown out the thunder I mean, I know I few good ones”

“Would you?”

“I asked, didn’t I?”

“Please”

She sighed, searching through her mental category of songs that might help both of them relax, when she said she knew a few good ones, she had been lying. There were lots really.

“Alright, here goes” she told him, clearing her throat

‘ _Little child, be not afraid_

_Though rain pounds harshly against the glass_

_Like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger_

_I am here tonight’_

She began swaying them to the soft music playing in her head, shutting her eyes against memories of her sister and stormy nights and _pain_ of loss.

_‘Little child, be not afraid_

_Though thunder explodes and lightning flash_

_Illuminates your tear-stained face_

_I am here tonight’_

His trembles died down, though he did not release her so quickly, still holding tightly onto her, and though the crook of her neck was wet, no new tears were being added.

_‘And someday you'll know_

_That nature is so_

_The same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land_

_On forests and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you'll see_

_In the morning’_

She sensed his presence, standing at the doorway, his soothing energy pouring into the room, at the very least for her, if not both for the boy as well.

_‘Little child, be not afraid_

_Though storm clouds mask your beloved moon_

_And its candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams_

_I am here tonight’_

She looked over her shoulder at him, lyrics still spilling from her lips. No tears had yet slipped from her eyes, but they were close.

_‘Little child, be not afraid_

_Though wind makes creatures of our trees_

_And their branches to hands, they're not real, understand_

_And I am here tonight’_

A deep breath, a break to go along with the music in her head, a quiet conversation using their eyes, his soft footsteps walking over to them, the whisper of one hand on her shoulder, the sight of his other on the boys.

 

_‘And someday you'll know_

_That nature is so_

_The same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land_

_On forests and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you'll see_

_In the morning’_

_‘For you know, once even I was a_

_Little child, and I was afraid_

_But a gentle someone always came_

_To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears_

_And to give a kiss goodnight’_

_‘Well now I am grown_

_And these years have shown_

_That rain's a part of how life goes_

_But it's dark and it's late_

_So I'll hold you and wait_

_'Til your frightened eyes do close’_

 

All of them were so close together, an embrace to ward against the cold of the storm raging outside, to guard against the nightmares that plagued them all.

 

_‘And I hope that you'll know_

_That nature is so_

_The same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land_

_On forests and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you'll see_

_In the morning’_

_‘Everything's fine in the morning_

_The rain'll be gone in the morning_

_But I'll still be here in the morning’_

He was asleep, good. Bruce withdrew, going over to his bed and straightening it out. Realigning the pillows and untangling the blanket, folding in half over his arms while she picked Dick up, carrying him the short distance and laying him gently on the soft mattress before stepping back, letting Bruce lay the blanket over his small body and step back himself.

For a moment she could have almost thought they were their own little family, years in the future, married, with their own little boy to call their own.

No, they were in their early twenties and dealing with a traumatized boy who had lost his entire life just the night before, right infront of them.

They wouldn’t be family, not the three of them. She was certain that they would only foster him, until the circus had a chance to come back and take him back into their home.

“Let’s go back to bed, our drinks are getting cold. And you should get back to that book of yours” He was choked up, and just by meeting his eyes she could tell he had been thinking the same thing. She nodded one, and he took her into his arms, guiding her down the hallway and into the master bedroom.

They didn’t know what the future had in store for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW! Just barely made my personal wish of posting this the next day! Also, the song Selina sings is called "lullaby for a stormy night" by Vienna Teng. Highly recommend! It's a beautiful song!


	8. Meeting them

Bruce clutched tightly onto Dick’s hand, his eyes sliding over to meet Selina’s, noticing the way she shifted ever so slightly closer to him, the twitch of her fingers curling around Dick’s hand to tighten her grasp, the slight downward curve of her ruby colored lips.

They had just finished watching a movie, in an all too familiar theater.

Dick was fourteen, Selina and he were young and in love, and the boy who had become their son was babbling away, describing his favorite parts of the film. There was a dark alley nearby, one they would be walking by to get to the small ice cream shop Dick had wanted to visit.

Bruce was tense, his mind trying to replay the painful memories of that night.

He blinked; shoving them away, he and Selina were both capable, if someone tried something, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

His mouth opened to say something, to reassure Selina that he was fine when a young boy’s shout cut him off.

“Dad! Com’on you gotta just give ‘im the money!”

‘No, this lousy rat isn’t getting anything of ours, not after what he did” the two of them pulled Dick to a stop and back towards the streetlight at the sound of the gruffer, angrier voice, and he fell silent, stepping slightly behind Selina’s body.

“Dad, it’s not even that much! He’s scarin’ her” the mysterious boy voice continued, going to a softer tone once nearing the end.

“Dad…Please….It’s…..It’s not worth it” a soft, halting voice belonging to what sounded like a girl drifted out of the alleyway right after the boys, Selina and Bruce caught each other’s eye, whatever was going on. There were at the very least two kids involved, Bruce glanced down at Dick who was gnawing at his lip, a habit he slipped into when he was nervous that he never really dropped.

A new voice spoke up, a cackle in the words “Y’know Todd, you’ve got pretty smart kiddo’s there. Be a shame if they ended up on the street, your son dead in a trash bin, your daughter pleasin’ some dudes every desire, you could avoid all that if ya just paid up”

“You shut up! Don ‘t talk about my sister like that!”

“How dare you say that about her, you’re gonna get it now buster”

Two voices, one a shout of indignation, the other a roar of rage. Before the shadows shifted, the two large shadows brawling with each other, they had no way of telling which was which at this point, and even if they did go in to help. They didn’t know what they even looked like.

And besides that, despite his mind screaming at him to move, to do something, he couldn’t.

He was frozen, just like on that night.

“Dick, stay with Bruce, alright? Promise me you won’t come after me”

“But M-“

“No ‘buts’, hold my purse tightly, get Bruce back to the theater front”

And then she was moving towards the entrance of the alley, and Bruce reached his hand out, about to yell at her that ‘ _no, don’t, I can’t lose you tonight_ ’ but Dick had grabbed it, tugging him in the opposite direction.

“Come ON you old fart! Mom wants us to wait at the theater, come on. Move!” he said, tugging at him until he budged.

Bruce let the boy lead him to the front of the theater, helped him to sit down under the posters, raided through Selina’s purse and bringing out a packet of wet wipes, using one of the cool cloths to wipe at Bruce’s forehead.

And then the gunshot rang.

And everything stopped. The _click, click, click_ of heels on cement, the chattering of Gotham’s evening crowd, and the blaring of horns. All frozen in the moments of the bang still ringing in the brisk air, as if it all suddenly became a painting on the wall.

And then everything was moving, Dick leaping to his feet, people running in the opposite direction, Dick yelling at someone to call the cops, people pulling out their phones, Dick running towards the alley, Dick leaving him, Dick putting himself in danger.

Bruce leapt to his feet, charging after his son, he couldn’t lose both of them.

And then he nearly ran into him, stopped at the entrance and gazing in on a scene that would melt into their brains forever.

Selina was getting done tying up a brutish man, his eye bags dark and deep, his hair oily and messy, and his beard missing patches of hair. And he was out cold.

And on the other side, two children kneeled besides a man who was bleeding out; the girl had her hands over the bullet wound in his rib, blood leaking out from beneath her small palms and between her tiny fingers, her whole body weight pressing forward to apply pressure, while the boy held the man’s face in his hands.

They couldn’t have been more than nine years old at the most.

He would have said something, but before he could Dick was next to the girl, helping to apply pressure to the wound. She startled for a moment before she realized he was there to help.

All Bruce could do was step away and wave over the police vehicles, hoping that Jim was called out on this one.

* * *

 

Two hours later and they were in a private room in Gotham General, two kids in ratty clothing clutching onto each other as they waited for news on their father. Jim stationed outside door keeping Dick company in the hallway, Styrofoam cups in both their hands, Jim’s with coffee and Dick’s with cocoa.

Selina was fiddling with her fingers, fidgeting. The last time he saw her fidget like this was when Dick to go to the emergency room after a fight got physical with a boy who was mocking him, the scar just under his bottom lip was still visible, seven stitches.

He stood up, carefully crossing over to the kids, bending down into a crouch so he could be eye level with them. The girl hid her face behind the long locks of messy black hair, the boy glared, rusty brown piercing into his steel blue.

He held out his hand “My name is Bruce Wayne, I want to help you. But I need you to let me know what happened back there, can we start with your names?” that was the trick, you had to be patient with children, had to respect them.

The boy’s glare harshened, but the girl peaked out between gaps in her curtain of hair, blinking slowly before resting her hand on top of his, her fingers curling into the dents of his palm, the boy seemed to relax seeing that, sending a quiet look to his sister, a quirked eyebrow. But no longer hostile toward him, he wondered why that was.

“I am...Ca…Cass…” she trailed off, her brow furrowing in, frustration? Bruce wasn’t sure.

“Ca-San-Drah” the boy cut in, sounding out the syllables carefully and slowly, his hand squeezing her shoulder, she nodded, looking back up, her whiskey colored eyes meeting with his fully now.

“I am Ca-San-Drah Todd, this... He is my bro… br-”

“Broh-th-er”

“My Broh-th-er, Jason”

He nodded, it was obvious she had some problems with words, but then she turned to her bro- Jason, again, pulling her hand from his and quickly signing something to him. He nodded, turning to meet Bruce’s eyes with a much kinder looks “Cassie is adopted, we found her alone on the streets and took her in a few years ago, but she’s as good a sister as any” it was defensive in tone, and he leaned back onto his heels.

“Of course, Blood or not, family is family”

That got a smile from the both of them, a soft, shy, wary of people outside of those they knew smile, but a smile none the less.

“Hey. Uhm, Dad?”

He blinked, looking up to the now open door, Dick poking his head in with a worried look on his face “You better come on out, the doc wants to speak with you… Uhm” he pressed his lips together, glancing towards the two children “Yeah, you should go talk with him” he finished, before ducking back into the hallway.

Bruce nodded to himself, standing up from his crouched position and stretching out his body to ward off the incoming aches.

* * *

 

‘Pronounced dead at elven forty five PM’

The words rung in his head, there hadn’t even been a chance to save those kids father, even if he had survived to make it to the hospital, the bullet had shredded his lung so thoroughly that they would have needed an immediate transplant. Which they hadn’t had a match on hand, so that possibility was dead in the water before it even had a chance.

He walked back into the room to see Dick playing some complicated clapping game with Cassandra, and Selina talking quietly to Jason with a book in her lap.

They both seemed so calm and hopeful.

And he was about to change their lives forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and thus! Jason and Cass make their appearance
> 
> Also I've had this written up for quite a while, since I posted the last chapter actually, and I've finally come to the decision that!  
> Until this story is complete, I'll post chapters out of order. Chapter one will now be your guide to where the chapters go in the continuity. That way you keep getting updates without me spending months focusing on trying to get the next chapter time-line wise written and out! hopefully this works out for everyone


	9. Rooftop chats

Dick woke up, it wasn’t fast, or slow, he had just woken up. Awareness of sound creeping into his body until his eyes slid open. He was staring at the ceiling; it had been replaced two years ago after a science experiment gone wrong, he still remembered the panic after watching the tower of flame scorching it, before fading away. He had run down the stairs crying for Alfred, scared of the consequences but scared of the fire more.

He hadn’t gotten in trouble, and they had even found a small gas leak from the old lamp in his room from back before Bruce’s father was born. The entire manor’s wiring and piping had been replaced after that, men going in and out, old passage ways from when there were more servants then just Alfred, and some quarters that Dick had claimed as his new hide-aways.

He didn’t use them as often anymore, preferring to go out with Barbara’s and his friends, maybe he could pass them on to the new residents, to make them more comfortable, to help them feel secure.

He slowly started moving, pushing his body up with his elbows, his chin length hair tickling at his chin, his eyes crusty with sleep. Taking a look outside caused him to blink; he could see that it was still pitch black out.

Odd, he turned his head to the electric alarm clock on the shelf next to his bed, taking in the soft orange numbers reading ‘ ** _three twenty seven_** ’ which was early, even for him, then he heard it again, a soft whimper filtering into his room from the roof.

He crawled over his covers to his window, sweeping back the curtain and unlatching it, pushing it open and taking a look outside, only to be met with a startled look from Cassandra, he sighed. Okay, it was only her. He crawled over the window rim and onto the flat roof, making his way over to her and sitting down. She was elevated above him, having crawled onto a raised, sloped part of the roof.

It was quiet, before she unfurled slightly from her ball, one hand dropping down to hang by his face. He didn’t hesitate in taking it with his own, running his thumb over her knuckles.

“It’s going to be alright”

“W… We’re alone” she whispered, he had gotten used to her halting speech, it was hard the first day, but his Momma always said he was adaptable, and listening was what he did almost as well as flying.

“No you’re not; I know what it’s like to see stuff like that, to want to shut yourself in your own little world. But Bruce, and Selina, and Alfie, they’re all here, me too. If you need, or want, us, then we’ll come”

“Thank you”

“Of course”

“Jason is…Pacing. It is hard” she bit her lip, a thing he noticed she did when focusing on a word or how to phrase something “It is hard to sleep, with the noise”

He breathed in the chilly night air, relishing the coolness rushing down into his lungs, and then he nodded “I bet. He tell you a reason? Or has he always paced this late?”

“Always, he’s a…Hrm” she bit her lip and looked at her lap. Fingers scrunching up along with her forehead, he waited, silently, looking out at the night sky instead of her to let her know he was listening but not pressuring.

“A night owl…..Always been a night owl” her voice was bright as she finally remembered the word, and he gave her a smile.

“Okay, is there anything that usually helps him?”

“Reading, he’s always reading”

“Okay! I can take him to the library, you wanna come?”

“Sure”

* * *

 

Dick followed Cass through the window to her and Jason’s room, startling the boy a little, but Dick just smiled and held his fingers to his lips. Opening their door and gesturing that they follow him.

And so they tip-toed down the hall, down the large, grand staircase, and past the study where Bruce was sleeping in his chair, all the way to the great big library, He carefully pushed the large, ornate doors open and relished in the sharp sound of their gasps, and Jason’s soft “ _holy shit_ ” at the tall bookcases.

“How do you even get to half of these? Mr. Wayne isn’t that tall, and he’s the tallest guy in this place!”

Dick grinned “We’ve got ladders for that, they connect to the bookcases and wheel side to side, like in the library, go ahead. Pick any book you want, except from the really dark bookcases in the way back. Those are B’s mom’s documents and his dad’s medical journals”

The two nodded, before Jason grabbed his sister’s wrist and they raced inside, almost instantly getting lost among the maze of the library.

Dick felt slender arms wrapping around his shoulder, pulling him backwards into a hug “Do you have any idea what time it is, mister?”

“Like, four AM? Jason couldn’t sleep, so he was pacing. And that kept Cass up so she was out on the roof near my window, and that woke me up. And now we’re all down here”

Selina sighed, pressing a kiss to the top of his head “alright, why don’t you go wake up Bruce? He can reheat some leftovers from dinner, I think, and we can all have a late night snack. Maybe I can help you with that math homework of yours”

He groaned, throwing his head back into her and looking up at her pitifully “oh come on, do I have to do it? It’s so boring”

“Yes, Dick, you do, now off you go”

“Fine” he rolled his eyes and smirked, dropping out of her arms and rushing down the hallway towards Bruce’s study, taking a glance back to see Selina smiling softly as she leaned against the doorway.

Things were going to be alright, that was something even he knew.


	10. Haley's return

Dick’s eyes were bright as he looked at his family, all dressed up relatively casually, but still with an air of ‘Wayne’ around them, it was a pretty great day after all.

It had been a long, long time since Dick had last seen the circus. It had been five years ago, two years after the death of his parents, when they had come back to Gotham for the first time.

_The Jacobs’ had been fully prepared to adopt Dick into their family, had been ecstatic about ‘taking him home’, which really meant taking him back into the circus, back onto the road, back to the only life he had known before his parents fell._

_Dick had been momentarily excited too, just for a moment. Because he had been twelve years old again, fresh wounds from losing his parents._

_And then the moment ended, because with a shout from behind him he was snapped back to the present time and had turned to see Jason barreling towards him. He had grinned and opened his arms and engulfed his little brother in a hug, and he had muttered “Why’d ya run off? Mom and Dad gave each other these looks but wouldn’t tell us why!”_

_And Dick laughed, ruffling up Jason’s hair, and just like the moment before, he had been wrapped up into his own little world, only focusing on his little brother “Sorry Jaybird, but y’know how I said I used to be a part of a circus?”_

_Jason’s brow scrunched up “Uh, yeah?”_

_“Well, this is the circus I was talking about! I used to perform with my parents in that very tent”_

_Jason’s eyes had lit up “whoa, really? That’s so cool!”_

_It was Fiona who had coughed, reminding him there were others “Uhm, Dick? Who’s this?”_

_And Dick blushed a little, because the way she was tilting her head had the sun glinting off her blonde curls, but he shook his head and grinned “Ah, right! Sorry Fi’, this is my little brother Jason! Bruce and Selina adopted him and Cassie too, about a month ago”_

_She scrunched her eyebrows together, but little bit of realization seemed to dawn in her eyes “Too?” she asked quietly, and at that Dick couldn’t help but rub at the back of his neck, nodding._

_“Yeah, they adopted me last year, they’ve been great, they won’t ever replace momma and pops, but they make pretty great parents”_

_“Bruce? The same man who comforted you when-“_

_“Yeah” Dick grinned happily, his arm still wrapped around Jason’s shoulders when slender arms wrapped around his other arm, he glanced down and grinned at Cass, who was shyly looking through the river of her hair at the Jacobs’, assessing them before a soft smile spread across her lips “Hi” she whispered._

_Fiona’s eyes lit up and she let out a small ‘ **Awh**_ ’ _“Hi there, are you Cassie?” she asked, her lips stretching into a grin, Cass gave a small nod, stepping only a little away from her position behind Dick, Fiona’s smile seemed to widen, if that was even possible, as she tucked her hair behind her ear “My name’s Fiona, I’m Dickie’s best friend”_

It had been a pretty great day, and in the end he had gotten Fiona’s cell phone number and was able to keep in contact with her, until the circus traveled to London and the call fees were too expensive to keep up for her.

But now they were back again, and he would get to tell her all about the new additions to the family.

Tim and Steph and Damian and Helena, he felt a bit like a dragon, with his horde of siblings, granted Stephanie was only his foster sister until her aunt and uncle could make the move to Gotham, but she was his sister nonetheless.

Barbara smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pecking his cheek softly “You ready to go?”

“Always, you’re going to love Fiona”

“I’m sure, but will she-“

“Yes, she will, I promise Babs”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the long wait! things have been a bit busy, but I'm writing and polishing up quite a few chapters right now so!


	11. AUTHORS NOTE

Yo! Yeah, hi, uhm....

I just want to apologize for such a long, unannounced hiatus, a LOT of stuff happened, BUT! I'm back now, and going through and editing the previous chapters because my writing has (hopefully) improved!

I'll leave this authors note up until they're all updated and posted and such, thanks for sticking with the story lovelies!


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